CMU-Q summer research programs offer students rich learning opportunities
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) students from all four undergraduate programs shared their research projects at the inaugural Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Showcase. The students presented a total of 37 posters that reflected research from a variety of different summer programs.
This was the most prolific year for student summer research in campus history.
Nesrine Affara is the Chair of the Qatar Undergraduate Research Committee (QURC) that creates and curates opportunities for students to participate in research. The committee also includes Mohammad Aazam, Mohammad Hammoud, Maha Kanso, Veli Safak, Jeffrey Squires.
“We established the QURC several years ago so we could better support students as they learn to engage with existing research, and eventually initiate their own projects,” Affara said. “We are very pleased to see the level of interest and enthusiasm in summer research.”
Research has always been a key component of a CMU-Q education, and over the past several years, the university has enhanced the experience in several key ways. New summer opportunities introduce research at an early stage, and with individualized guidance and feedback that encourages research skill development.
“Research helps develop important skills like critical thinking, problem solving, time management and self-directed learning,” said Jennifer Bruder, associate dean of research. “We find that student researchers do better in their courses, and later in their careers, because they learn to ask good questions that will lead to meaningful answers.”
The Summer Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship (SURA) was created for students with little or no research experience. SURA students work on faculty-led projects with clearly defined learning objectives. There were 23 students who participated in SURA last summer, more than double the year before.
“SURA is an on-ramp for students to learn the basics of research,” said Maha Kanso, manager of research at CMU-Q and a member of the QURC. “Many of the SURA students go on to do more self directed research.”
SURA students share their research with the CMU-Q community.
CMU-Q also offers the Qatar Student-Initiated Undergraduate Research Program (QSIURP) for more experienced student researchers. Students submit proposals, and if selected, receive a fellowship for the summer under the guidance of a faculty advisor. QSIURP students often further develop their projects as honors theses.
Some students have looked beyond the university for research opportunities. At the poster showcase, six students requested to participate so they could show their work. Three of those students were part of the Pittsburgh campus Summer Research Institute, and one completed the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute summer laboratory experience. A fifth student worked in a Qatar University laboratory over the summer, and one student completed the EPFL School of Life Sciences Summer Research Program in Geneva, Switzerland.
“The poster showcase was a huge success because so many students have done such excellent work,” said Kanso. “Including both internal and external projects showed the wide opportunities available, and I hope it inspired other students to pursue summer research.”
Affara noted that research skills are essential, regardless of a student’s career path, especially if they pursue careers in medicine or academia.
“Research opportunities like those at CMU-Q are very rare at the undergraduate level. Our students are creating exceptional work that is often published in peer reviewed journals, including CMU-Q’s own journal, Majāl, or accepted at academic conferences,” said Affara. “I’m so excited for students when they begin down the research path. It leads to wonderful growth and opportunities.”